# Dot Blocks! vs Survival Shmup

The clearest difference is update cadence: Survival Shmup at every 4 months against Dot Blocks!'s every 49 months. Dot Blocks!'s advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dot Blocks! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Survival Shmup sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dot Blocks! ships an update every 49 months, Survival Shmup every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dot Blocks! | Survival Shmup |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (888 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dot-blocks/id1182852457/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **888** | — |
| Positive reviews | 38.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 49 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 30 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Dong Wook Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/507362855) | [Claudio Souza Mattos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1774316937) |

## What reviewers say

### Dot Blocks!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dot-blocks/id1182852457)

A delightful puzzle game where players match three or more blocks of the same color. Utilize power-ups to overcome charming characters in this engaging experience.

**Highlights:** Match three or more blocks, Same color block matching, Defeat characters, Use power-ups

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| REMOVE ADS | $0.99 | one-time |
| UNLOCK PUPPY | $0.99 | one-time |
| UNLOCK HAYUL | $0.99 | one-time |
| UNLOCK ALIEN | $0.99 | one-time |
| UNLOCK KITTY | $0.99 | one-time |
| UNLOCK FUNKY | $0.99 | one-time |
| UNLOCK NINJA | $0.99 | one-time |
| UNLOCK MACY | $0.99 | one-time |
| UNLOCK MINTBEAR | $0.99 | one-time |
| ADD 10 HEARTS | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌃 Cute characters
- 👍 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🎨 Great visuals and ambiance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Unclear gameplay objectives and mechanics
- 🔁 Repetitive and frustrating ads
- 💰 Paid version still has ads

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Placement of power-ups is inconsistent

**Requested features**

- More detailed instructions and tutorials
- Ability to switch between purchased characters
- Colorblind mode


### Survival Shmup

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/survival-shmup/id6470324002)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dot Blocks! free?

Dot Blocks! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Survival Shmup free?

Survival Shmup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Dot Blocks! or Survival Shmup have ads?

Both Dot Blocks! and Survival Shmup show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dot Blocks! or Survival Shmup?

Dot Blocks! ships an update every 49 months, and Survival Shmup every 4 months. Most recently, Dot Blocks! was updated on November 2, 2026 and Survival Shmup on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*